A Story About You
Before you think, before you decide, before you act—something is already organizing everything you experience. This is the story of how that works.
Let's imagine that today, at the age you are, you are operated by something—an axis, a structure that exists in each of us. But this structure cannot be seen. Just as thought cannot be seen. Just as air cannot be seen.
Through factors studied for many years, I came to a conclusion that is practically this: it is almost impossible—mathematically impossible—for this structure not to exist prior to everything that already exists, which is thought, feeling, emotion, and so on. And there it is: this is called epistemology. It's when we see things from another angle as well. And with TFB, we can see anything from another angle with the same logic.
So, let's think about this: each being is unique. And here comes the central element of the theory. There is a belief that operates, and it is with us from beginning to end—even beyond what is not understood.
TFB is so singular, so humble, and so integrative that it respects the opinion and uniqueness of each one. So, let's think this way: the same thing that moves you forward, moves you backward, moves you in life, and moves you beyond understanding as well. And this can be called by many names—many important people have called it by different names. TFB just helps us understand that everyone was talking about the same thing, just from different angles.
This element that we all have—which we call axis, belief-axis, or cognitive axis for humans, or just axis for all living beings that exist in the universe—can operate at three different levels: what comes before, what accompanies us throughout life, and what comes after (beyond understanding).
It is the only element that, according to the logic studied, if removed from the human being, they would not be able to bear it. They would not be able to do anything anymore—no action, no emotion, no feeling. Because if you remove any element that comes after this axis, the human could still survive. But if you remove this element that operates before, during, after—the human could not move forward.
So the message is: Believe.
Believe, because from science to spirituality, it is involved. The scientist can only do something because he believes. If that is his belief, OK. But what moves the scientist is his belief that he will succeed. Understand?
This element is everything. And here comes something important: if you believe in God, or in the force of the universe, or in nature, or whatever it may be—if you believe in something greater, that is your axis. It is as fundamental to move us, to guide us day after day, as it is to deliver what is not within our reach. Because we don't have control over everything in our lives, right?
So, an example: if you believe that your belief is dogmatic, is religious, that's fine. TFB doesn't fight with that. If your force is God, it is He who moves you. This axis is part of Him as well. If you believe in the force of the universe, the same.
It can operate with one level only, with two, with three. And now, the interesting thing is that having all three levels, believing—and this is the new thing about TFB—believing also that it acts back there, then we become, through TFB, a conscious human being. A human being who can put themselves in the place of others. A human being who understands that each one is unique and is not to blame for some things, but has responsibility.
We just remove the blame and put responsibility in the right place. So, TFB doesn't exonerate, it doesn't remove blame—it just exchanges it for each one's responsibility.
That's it. Enjoy your journey.
Imagine that all of us, from the simplest form of life to the most complex, function through an axis. An axis that organizes everything we live, feel, and do.
But here's the interesting part: this axis is not something you choose. It is not visible. And it acts **before** you think about anything.
This is the foundation of the Theory of Fundamental Belief.
Something Truly Unique
The Theory of Fundamental Belief is the only theory that integrates all these areas of knowledge:
And here's something remarkable: **the logic of TFB has never changed since the first record.** What changes is only the way we communicate it.
TFB does what humans rarely do: it observes reality from multiple angles while maintaining absolute logical consistency. This is what makes it an integrative theory—not a method, but a framework that unifies all other approaches.
What Is the Axis?
The axis is an internal structure that organizes your life experience. It forms **first** in the individual, before any thought, before any word, before any conscious reflection.
Think about it: two people can receive exactly the same information. One expands, grows with it. The other enters into conflict, closes off. What changes is not the information that arrived. What changes is the **internal axis** that organizes that experience.
It's as if each of us has an invisible structure that gives direction to everything we experience. And this structure begins to function long before we realize it.
Functioning
The first level that emerges from the axis is **functioning**.
Functioning is a binary registration. Yes or no. Possible or impossible. Safe or dangerous. It operates **before** any form of thought.
Why Must It Be Binary?
This is a **protected logic**—proven and documented through multiple cycles of reasoning across various academic fields working together. Observations laid out on paper, factors analyzed collectively, all point to the same conclusion: **it can only start this simple.**
The complete logic cannot be fully explained here because it is protected and complex. But what has been proven is that for life to begin organizing itself, for any living being to function, the first registration must be binary. It is the most basic, most fundamental record. Without it, nothing else can be built.
A bacterium does not think, does not decide, does not understand its environment. But it moves, reacts, and continues. It responds to what is around it through physicochemical mechanisms, without any consciousness.
A sperm cell does not know what an egg is. It does not know the goal of its movement. It does not evaluate chances of success. But millions of them move through a hostile environment.
This is functioning. It guarantees possibility through action, not through thought. And it is at this level that **sub-beliefs** begin to form—secondary readings built from lived experiences, still before language and organized cognition.
Feeling
After functioning comes **feeling**.
Feeling is not organized emotion. It is not an emotional state you can name. It is the first living contact of the organism with experience.
It is direct perception. Immediate reaction. A primary reading of what is happening, **before** any internal elaboration.
It manifests as approach or withdrawal. Tension or relief. Comfort or discomfort.
A plant has no nervous system, no language, no cognition. But it orients itself toward light. It bends, adapts. It **feels** the environment without thinking about it.
Feeling is this layer: you have not yet organized what is happening into words or thoughts, but your body is already reacting. Already reading the situation.
Emotions
After feeling comes **emotion**.
Emotion is the subsequent organization of feeling. It is when the individual begins to recognize internal states. Fear. Joy. Anger. Sadness.
But here's the point: emotions arise **before** rational thought.
A child cries without thinking about pain. Smiles without reflecting on pleasure. Emotion is already there, operating, organizing internal experience, before conscious thought enters the scene.
A dog has no conscious reflection. No symbolic language. Does not calculate probability. But it acts, tries, fails, tries again. It feels fear, joy, frustration—all without cognitive elaboration.
Emotions are transitory states that respond to context, recent experiences, and activated sub-beliefs. They organize what you feel so you can begin to make sense of what you are experiencing.
Putting It All Together
**First**, there is the **axis**—the invisible structure that organizes everything.
**Then** comes **functioning**—the binary registration that acts before thought.
**Then** comes **feeling**—the first living contact with experience.
**Then** comes **emotion**—the organization of that feeling into recognizable states.
And only **after** all of this does conscious thought arise. Reflection. The ability to give meaning to things.
The Theory of Fundamental Belief shows that much of what we are, what we feel, and what we do is already operating **before** we think about it.
And understanding this changes completely how we look at ourselves and others.
Want to Learn More?
Explore the complete foundations of the theory, discover how it dialogues with different areas of knowledge, and understand why TFB is unique.
© 2026 Chris Montgomery. All rights reserved.
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